1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated electronic component.
2. Description of the Related Art
Laminated ceramic electronic components include a laminated ceramic capacitor which has a ceramic body and external electrodes disposed on lateral sides of the ceramic body. The ceramic body has an inner portion, in which a plurality of internal electrodes are embedded, and a pair of outer portions disposed above and below the inner portion. The internal electrodes embedded in the inner portion are each connected to one of the external electrodes.
As such a conventional laminated ceramic capacitor, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-335473 discloses a laminated ceramic capacitor whose characteristics are prevented from deteriorating by providing a dummy electrode in each outer portion to thereby inhibit and prevent the infiltration of plating solution during the plating process.
On the other hand, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-12475 discloses a laminated ceramic capacitor in which the internal electrodes are spaced more in upper and lower portions of the inner portion than in a central portion of the inner portion.
In the conventional laminated ceramic capacitors, however, the inner portion with the internal electrodes and the outer portion with no internal electrode have different shrinkages during baking due to different materials, incurring the possibility of causing cracks.
In order to deal with this problem, the present inventors have considered providing a plurality of dummy electrodes in the outer portion and connecting them to the external electrodes for adjusting shrinkage, but found that there would be the possibility of short-circuit or deterioration in balance of layer composition due to embedment of an additional layer other than ceramic.
It should be noted that the technology disclosed in JP 7-335473 is directed to inhibiting the infiltration of plating solution, as set forth above. Therefore, shrinkage adjustment cannot be expected. On the other hand, the technology disclosed in JP 10-12475 is directed to the inner structure of the inner portion where the internal electrodes are alternately arranged to improve capacitance. Therefore, effects on the shrinkage of the outer portions cannot be expected.